The Night That You Know Who Died
by Chris Gammon
Summary: Chapter 11 up!! Based on a true story! Courage stumbles upon the automotive find of the century! But there is more to it than meets the eye!
1. The Finding

Courage was sleeping on the porch of the farmhouse. The place he called home. He was awoke by the sounds of Eustace's joy. What would actually make that old man happy?  
  
Turns out there was a traveling auto show coming to town. Courage was beat after Eustace made him clean up the area, digging up any things that may get in the way. Courage always dug up strange things. Among the various colors of yo-yo's lost over the years, he found something interesting to say the least. A fancy silver car, that still had a shimmer to it despite the years of crud on it. It was just a shell. It was missing two tires, the engine, the transmission, and it was pretty dinged up. But still, Courage felt a shimmer down his spine. His sixth sense told him that there was something in the air around the remains of the car.  
  
Maybe it was Eustace's greed. He could sell it to one of those collectors for big bucks! He didn't dare let the stupid dog get his grubby paws on it. He shoved Courage out of the way and admired the remains.  
  
"Hehehehe! This will make me rich! Rich! Rich!" he began dancing in circles.  
  
"Eustace, it's just a pile of junk! Nobody must think it's that important if it was buried here for so long." Muriel called from the porch.  
  
"Now come on in! I need help making my prized vinegar muffins for the crowd!"  
  
That Muriel, such a kind heart. Courage stuck his tongue out in a disgusted grimace. Eustace just grumbled.  
  
"Stupid dog! Haul that thing out of the ground, and don't get yer paw prints on it!" he walked in, grumbling about stupid dogs and money at the same time.  
  
That is why Courage was so tired. He groggily looked over at the silhouette of the remains, sitting against the sun. Who could possibly buy a car like that?  
  
Later that night, Courage couldn't sleep. He had a nice nap, and now wasn't tired. He threw the covers off and looked over at the computer next to his cot. As he lie on his back deciding whether or not to move he heard a noise. It sounded like a car starting up and speeding off. He even smelled the burning rubber.  
  
"What the hell?" Courage rolled over onto his stomach. He sighed and finally got up to look out the window. The cold window fogged with every breath. He wiped the mist away, and saw that the remains were gone! Tire tracks leading from where it sat motionless, to the road. Made by four perfect tires!  
  
"No way that thing could've drove off in that condition. No way in hell." He muttered to himself. He looked over at the computer, and decided to do some research. It would help if he knew what he was up against. 


	2. The Research

Courage scratched his head. Who would've stolen such a piece of junk? And how did they manage to drive it off? He tapped his fingers on the keyboard, thinking of what to search for.  
  
He remembered that he saw a hood ornament. It was a stallion between a checkered flag and an Italian flag. That was the symbol of Porsche. Racing car manufacturer. So he had a brand name.  
  
"What else? What else?" he muttered to himself, his elbow on the desk propping his head up. His other hand tapping away on the desk. The soft glow of the monitor was the only light in the room.  
  
He snapped his fingers, it had a number painted on it, meaning it was a racing car. Now he saw the value in it that Eustace saw.  
  
But why the creepy feeling? What was it that made him fear a junked car? Of all things to be afraid of, and to think after all of his previous adventures he'd have toughened up a bit. But now he was scared of a scrap pile.  
  
He typed in "Racing Porsche" and searched. He finally found a picture of a Porsche. It looked exactly the same as the one used to, but this one was made in 1999. The caption read, "replica of James Dean's 1955 Porsche Spyder."  
  
He decided to search on James Dean's car. He knew of the car crash that killed the movie legend, but how did the car wind up here from there?  
  
Turns out there was a dark past about this beauty. "The Little Bastard" was its nickname. And Courage was soon about to discover why. 


	3. Hollywood Ghost Stories

The computer began talking of the "Little Bastard" and the dark legacy it left in it's wake.  
  
"Friends told James Dean that the car was trouble when they saw it - a rare Silver Porsche Spyder, one of only 90 in 1955. Nicknamed 'The Little Bastard,' the car carried the iconic screen rebel to his grave on September 30, 1955.  
  
"After the accident, many fans refused to believe Dean was dead. A story circulated that he was still alive although terribly disfigured, and in true urban legend fashion this tale took on a life of its own.  
  
"I won't go into all the James Dean as a cult idol stuff except to say his mystique has staying power. For example, his tombstone was stolen twice in 1983, and in 1985 had to be replaced because of damage done to it by fans. Seems he was still the popular fellow despite having been dead for three decades.  
  
"After the tragedy, master car customizer George Barris bought the wreck for $2,500. When the wreck arrived at Barris' garage, the Porsche slipped and fell on one of the mechanics unloading it. The accident broke both of the mechanic's legs.  
  
"While Barris had bad feelings about the car when he first saw it, his suspicions were confirmed during a race at the Pomona Fair Grounds on October 24, 1956. Two physicians, Troy McHenry and William Eschrid, were both racing cars that had parts from the 'Little Bastard.' McHenry died when his car, which had the Porsche's engine installed, went out of control and hit a tree. Eschrid's car flipped over. Eschrid, who survived despite serious injuries, later said that the car suddenly locked up when he went into a curve.  
  
"The car's malevolent influence continued after the race: one kid trying to steal the Porsche's steering wheel slipped and gashed his arm. Barris reluctantly sold two of the car's tires to a young man; within a week, the man was nearly involved in a wreck when the two tires blew out simultaneously.  
  
"Feeling that the Porsche could be put to good use, Barris loaned the wrecked car to the California Highway Patrol for a touring display to illustrate the importance of automobile safety. Within days, the garage housing the Spyder burnt to the ground. With the exception of the 'Little Bastard,' every vehicle parked inside the garage was destroyed. When the car was put on exhibit in Sacramento, it fell from its display and broke a teenager's hip. George Barkuis, who was hauling the Spyder on a flatbed truck, was killed instantly when the Porsche fell on him after he was thrown from his truck in an accident.  
  
"The mishaps surrounding the car continued until 1960, when the Porsche was loaned out for a safety exhibit in Miami, Florida. When the exhibit was over, the wreckage, en route to Los Angeles on a truck, mysteriously vanished when the truck arrived at its destination 8 days later. To this day, the 'Little Bastard's' whereabouts are unknown.  
  
"Some say the car is haunted, some say it's cursed. Still, others say it's a bunch of phony bologna that started with a myth. While it is unknown if the car truly is evil, it was never found again. Why the sudden interest in cars anyway?" the computer asked.  
  
"Just curious, ya know? One thing leads to the other?" Courage said nervously, looking out at the still fresh tire treads.  
  
"Whatever, just don't go to 'those' sites again? K?" the computer asked.  
  
Courage snickered and shut down. His smile faded as he looked outside. Could all of that be true? 


	4. The Mystery Begins

[Everything in the last chapter is true! Look it up and you'll see!]  
  
Courage's dreams were plagued with this "evil" car. He woke up in a cold sweat to see the sun rising. He looked out the window, nervously peeking over the sill until it was in view.  
  
There it sat, motionless. Still the scrap pile that was dug from it's shallow grave the day before. Still missing so much, it could hardly be classified as a car anymore.  
  
Did it really drive off? Was it just a passing car, and being half asleep he just didn't see the whole picture? Courage thought this over. He crawled back into bed, realizing he stayed up too late and it finally caught up with him.  
  
He drifted off to dreamland, when a few seconds later, a "HONK!" scared the shit out of him. He leapt out of bed and hit the floor hard. His heart slammed against his ribs as he looked out the window. He swallowed, and mustered a shaky smile.  
  
"Its just Eustace fooling around. Nothing to be afraid of." He told himself. He sighed and felt his heart rate return to normal. He decided that going back to sleep again was out of the question, and trotted downstairs.  
  
He saw Muriel making muffins, and the first of many trucks pulling up to set up shop. The auto show was here, and Eustace was going to be rich! Courage never praised Eustace's greed, but he felt that the sooner that car was gone, the better.  
  
Courage walked outside, and breathed in the fresh air, feeling rejuvenated. Than his high sank as he looked at the car, shining in the sun. He remembered that the car had no engine. How did the horn honk without any inner workings?  
  
He looked closer at it, feeling his sixth sense rising as he got closer. He looked at it, and swore that the headlights blinked at him. He jumped back and felt his heart beat faster again. If he kept this up, he'd have a heart attack again.  
  
Courage tuned and walked away, when he heard a clunk. Like a gear- shift shifting. Then an engine roared and in the inhale of a breath, Courage felt metal hit him hard in the middle of his back. He painfully shifted his weight and opened is eyes. He looked, and gasped in shock as he saw he was laying on the hood of the car, his rear on the windshield! The car actually hit him!  
  
"Get off the car you stupid dog! Don't need yer dog hair messin up my fortune!" Eustace grumbled, and walked off.  
  
Courage slid off and began tugging Eustace's pant leg. He pointed to the car, and made a demonic growl.  
  
"Stupid dog." Eustace replied, and he walked off. Courage stared in cocked head disbelief that Eustace could be so thick. What the hell was his problem anyways?  
  
He turned and eyed the car, wondering what just happened. But Courage was only about to experience the darkness of this automobile killer. 


	5. Autocide

Night had fell, and after a busy day at the auto show Courage was tired. It seemed that Eustace made him guard dog for the car to keep fingerprints off of the paint. He lie awake in his cot, waiting to hear that noise again.  
  
Then the engine noise roared to life. Courage ran to the window in time to see a silver streak zip down the road. The car really was haunted!  
  
Courage ran outside to follow the car, but it had vanished. Where did it go?  
  
Courage heard another engine throttle, and spun just in time to see the car barreling toward him. He dove out of the way, narrowly missing becoming hood paint. This "Christine" like car was now in mint condition, and ran despite missing all the needed parts. It was possessed or something.  
  
Courage didn't know what to do, he ran to the front of the barn and hid. The sound of the approaching engine grew louder, and the car had managed to crash into the second level wall. It tired to land on Courage on it's way out, but missed.  
  
The car healed in the blink of an eye (not slowly like Christine, remember he is a lil' bastard so he is very impatient!) and tried to mow down our intrepid (Dodge joke!) hero again.  
  
Courage crouched, licked his lips, and got ready to do the dumbest thing ever in his life. He leapt at just the right moment and landed in the car. He grabbed the wheel, and jerked at it futilely. Making no progress.  
  
He then crawled under the dash, and slammed the brake pedal, not making it stop. Courage got back up into the seat, and figured he couldn't get hurt if he wasn't outside of it. He sat back, trying to think as the car searched for him.  
  
Lil' Bastard realized what happened, and stopped at such a speed, Courage sailed through the windshield and hit a nearby tree.  
  
"Ohhhhhh.." Courage moaned as he tried to get up. He rolled out of the way quick enough to make Lil' Bastard hit the tree, knocking it over and into the freshly fixed windshield.  
  
"Courage? Courage is that you making all that racket? You're lucky you didn't wake Eustace! Now come back in and get some sleep!" Muriel's sweet voice called from the porch.  
  
Lil' Bastard spun around and drove like a maniac toward the new voice, wanting to feel blood on it's chrome once again.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Courage yelled, and latched onto the rear bumper. To save Muriel, he would do anything, even die. And it seemed he was about to. Lil' Bastard stopped and began to reverse, slamming Courage into the side of the barn. This impact led to the second level, already weakened, to fall in on itself and collapse down on Courage. No way he could've survived that.  
  
All Courage could hear before the coming darkness, was the squeal of tires and a muffled engine roar.  
  
After a few hours, Courage came to in the darkness. He tried to pull himself up out of the rubble of the barn, but to no avail. It was just too heavy. He was still alive, but now was trapped.  
  
He tried to holler for Muriel, hoping she would hear his cries and save him.  
  
"Muriel! MURIEL!" Courage screamed. Muriel heard the muffled whimpers and ran to the barn. Courage smiled as he felt Muriel's hand grab his. He was lifted out of the rubble and embraced Muriel tightly.  
  
"Such a mess you are. Let's go fix you up." Muriel began to walk back to the house. Courage's content smile turned to fright as he saw Eustace, polishing up the car's remains again. He thought that it only came out at night, so would be of no harm during the day.  
  
Then again..it was the middle of the day when it killed James Dean...  
  
Courage shook that thought out of his head as fast as he could, not wanting to think it. But it was inescapable. If that thing wasn't destroyed, they were going to die. 


	6. The Accident

Courage lie awake in his cot, and trying to think of how to dispose of that demonic mass of metal and plastic sitting outside, waiting. If it weren't destroyed, it wouldn't quit until it satisfied its bloodlust.  
  
But Courage knew that the longer he took to think of a plan, the more time the car had to do something nasty. He shuddered thinking of his brush with death when the barn collapsed on him.  
  
But why did it have the sudden drive toward Muriel? Could've it just given up on Courage and go after a much simpler Muriel? Was it the sound of her voice, or just the nature to randomly kill?  
  
All these questions weren't relevant to the fact it was still on the prowl, picking up where it left off in 1960. 43 years it's missing and presumed destroyed, and now all the sudden Courage finds it, and it picks up on it's killing spree started in '55.  
  
Courage scoffed at his luck. Of all the lousy things to find, it had to be a demonic car that no one knows what its problem is. He sighed at his problems, and realized that an engine started. The car was gone again.  
  
He cringed, but finally went to sleep.  
  
The next morning, Courage wandered downstairs and flipped the TV on. The Nowhere news was talking about the war effort, and then something odd happened.  
  
The newsman talked of a terrible auto accident, killing all in the car. Witnesses say a silver Porsche collided with the car, causing it to flip several times, and explode. The severely damaged Porsche actually drove off the scene. Witnesses say that it just "healed" in the blink of an eye, and was in pristine condition when it disappeared over the nearby hill.  
  
"The foo just came outta nowhere! He crashed and *&%$ed them up real good! Then it fixed itself and drove off! I tell ya man, I think there was no one behind the wheel! Like it was driving itself!" Di Lung said, waving his arms wildly.  
  
Courage was the only one that knew the answer to this question. And the now dormant wreckage sat outside, apparently laughing inwardly at itself. Correction, himself.  
  
The news sent shivers down his spine. Not only was him and his family in danger, but the entire city was as well. This mechanical nightmare had to be stopped! 


	7. Daylight Is No Longer Safe

Courage ran around the house, trying to think of what to do. Muriel called out to him.  
  
"It's such a lovely day Courage! You want to go for a drive with us to the store?"  
  
After what he had been through, the last thing he wanted to hear was "drive". But he sighed, and agreed.  
  
They got into the truck, and headed off toward town. Courage sort of relaxed, but still kept his senses sharp. Even though it was daylight, that nocturnal motor madness was still a threat.  
  
He was about to drift off to sleep when a loud crash awoke him. He leaned out the window, and saw the rear bumper dragging behind them, eventually falling off.  
  
"What in the..GASP!" Courage was shocked to see a silver Porsche following them, with no one behind the wheel!  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" was all Courage could say, as it readied for another blow. He swore he heard the engine rumble sputter, in the rhythm of demonic laughing. Even though it was a non- living thing, the cold glare of the headlights was enough to freak Courage out.  
  
It slammed into the rear again. Taking a good chunk of wood that made up the bed. Courage got back into the car and tried to tell them what was going on. Unfortunately, he was so scared, all he could manage to sputter was a bunch of babbles.  
  
"Stupid road hoggin..' Eustace mumbled to himself, and swerved to give the car behind them some room. "There's your stupid lane!"  
  
"Bad move Eustace." Courage said to himself. He looked out the window again and saw the metallic monstrosity was next to them! It swerved and tried to ram them off the road, and almost succeeded. Thanks to Courage's quick thinking, he managed to grasp the review mirror and shift his weight enough to keep the truck balanced. The mirror suddenly heated up, making Courage jerk back his paws in a yelp of pain.  
  
It was glowing red, then cooled again. More engine rumbling sounded like it was laughing at them. It pulled ahead in a burst of speed, until it was right in front of them. Then it speed off in a cloud of dust.  
  
Courage wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked at his slightly red paws. They wouldn't scar. He slumped back into the seat and sighed.  
  
"Stupid maniac driver!" Eustace muttered to himself again.  
  
"He was in an awful big hurry." Muriel remarked.  
  
"Yeah, to kill us." Courage said to himself.  
  
All seemed well, until they got up the hill in the road. The Porsche was waiting and drove backward at full speed, going right up over the roof! It destroyed the windshield and landed in the bed, rolling off that onto the road. Then speeding forward again.  
  
Courage was so scared, he could hardly breathe. His heart was slamming against his ribs like no tomorrow. So much adrenaline was rushing through him, he actually managed to lift Muriel up and out of the car. She tucked and rolled landing safely. Eustace was next, but took a bit more force to get out.  
  
When they were safe, Courage tried to jump out. When he leapt out, he slammed against the windshield of the Porsche. It purposely tried to catch him, and succeeded! Courage fell to the road, grasping his hurt shoulder. The Porsche skidded to a halt, and seemed as if it was thinking.  
  
[Kill the dog, or go to town again?] was what it probably was, if it actually were.  
  
The Porsche sped off toward town, knowing that its cover was blown now anyway.  
  
Courage looked over to see Muriel and Eustace dusting themselves off.  
  
"We're going home, come on Courage." Muriel said angrily.  
  
Eustace only mumbled. "Wicked....stupid Sunday driver, 'an it's only Tuesday!"  
  
When they got back, Courage was at the computer once again. Even though it tended to be a smart-alek, he would be lost without it.  
  
He typed in a search on more of the Lil' Bastard, but came up with the same story on every site. He held the ice pack in place on his shoulder, with bandaged paws. He felt like he was hit by a truck instead of a car.  
  
What was he going to do? 


	8. Indoor Rampage

Courage tired to think of what to do with that thing. What was its true problem? It now comes out in daylight and attempted to kill him once again.  
  
Now it was in the town. THE TOWN! Courage's thoughts screamed at him. He darted downstairs to see another news report of a maniac silver Porsche creating a pile-up in downtown Nowhere.  
  
That tears it. The only way to defeat that thing is to go to its source. But where to start the search? Courage's stomach curdled as he saw the survivors being pulled from the wreckage, and the worse off fatalities. He felt tears well up in his eyes, out of anger and revenge. He never met these people, but it was his fault they suffered. Now he had to right the wrong.  
  
Courage put a paw to his chin, and thought. Who could help him? He snapped his fingers, SHIRLEY!  
  
At Shirley's wagon, Courage hesitated and knocked.  
  
"Come." A voice called.  
  
Courage entered the wagon, and saw Shirley at her crystal ball. It was the only light in the room.  
  
"I have heard of the deaths surrounding that car, then and now. It seems that it isn't possessed by a demon at all." Shirley said.  
  
Courage breathed again, in a sigh of relief. He wiped his brow with the back of his paw, but froze when the rest came.  
  
"The car isn't possessed, it IS a demon!" Shirley said. As if on cue, a bolt of lighting emphasized her words, making Courage scream.  
  
The thunder outside mixed with the gentle sound of rain hitting the wagon's roof. It was storming now.  
  
"Go and stop that car. If you don't it will continue it's murderous rampage." Shirley said. She waved him off, looking back at her crystal ball with a grim look.  
  
Courage ran outside, and was immediately soaked with rain. He ran back home.  
  
When he arrived home, he wiped the mud off his feet, and went upstairs to get a towel. He sat on his cot and dried off. He was alone again. Eustace and Muriel must've gone to the store. At least they would be successful now, as the car...was..outside...again.  
  
Courage instantly pulled his face out of the towel he held when this thought crept into his brain. The car WAS outside, meaning...  
  
CRASH! Was the next sound Courage heard through the house. The only sound after that was his heart beating in his ears.  
  
He slowly crept downstairs, and licked his lips. Hoping to god it wasn't what he thought.  
  
He went pale, it was. The car had crashed through the side of the house, and was now dripping all over the living room rug. It seemed silent, then started its engine.  
  
Courage tried to creep back upstairs without detection, but to no avail. The stair creaked under his foot.  
  
"shit!" Courage whispered to himself. The car began driving up the stairs, chasing Courage down the hall and into the attic.  
  
Courage was trapped against the window, but had a plan. He prepared to do the next dumbest thing in his life. The floor was damp enough to eliminate friction, so it seemed the only way.  
  
When the car sped toward Courage, he threw himself to his knees with enough force to slide across the floor and under the car, making the machine crash through the attic wall and land three stories below onto the damp Nowhere dirt. The impact shattered all the glass, and all four tires had fell off, laying sideways next to where they once were.  
  
Courage felt something sticky on his ear, making it heavier. He pulled it off to see it was oil from the car. But the oil was red! He sniffed it, to be sure. It didn't smell like gas, but blood! Courage threw it to the floor and cringed. This was too much, and the stress finally got to him. He ran to the bathroom, ready to revisit dinner.  
  
(Creative aren't I?) 


	9. More Truth and A Kidnapping!

Courage pulled his head out of the toilet and breathed again. The bitter taste of stomach acid still lingering. That was the sickest thing he ever saw in his life. He felt hungry after clearing all that room, and wandered downstairs. He realized he left the television on, and rolled his eyes at being so stupid.  
  
He picked up the remote and flipped it in the air, catching it. He smiled as he was about to shut it off, but saw something about another accident. He turned up the volume and heard that the maniac silver Porsche, now called "The Auto Killer" struck again.  
  
Courage held his breath and peered outside, getting his head wet with the still down pouring rain. His ears were matted to his cheeks as he searched for the remains of what hit the ground below. It wasn't there. Courage cringed and slammed the door. He looked at the grandfather clock and saw it was 9:00pm, and Muriel still wasn't back from the store.  
  
"Oh god, oh god, oh god! Please no, please!" He began chanting.  
  
He looked at the television while drying off hastily with the towel. There was no truck like Eustace's in any of the reports, maybe they just took shelter somewhere. Eustace never liked to drive in the rain that much.  
  
Courage felt the knot in his stomach loosen, and decided that a nice hot bath was in order. He climbed into the steaming water and sighed as all his muscles loosen. He never realized he was so stressed. He was going to call Sandy, but the storm knocked out the phone lines.  
  
The storm was on the verge of knocking out the power, as the lights flickered a few times. After a few minuets in the tub, the water began to become cold. Courage dried off and crawled into his cot, feeling extremely tired, and sick again. He shivered from the cold wind blowing into the house, so grabbed his favorite comforter by Ralph Lauren, and snuggled up in it. He made a mental note to call a repair service.  
  
"No answer, the phones must be down at the house!" Muriel said.  
  
"Big deal! No phone no bills!" Eustace said.  
  
"We're gonna be stuck out here for a few days, I wanted to see if Courage was alright."  
  
"Stupid dog probably destroying the house!" Eustace mumbled, watching their truck float away from the phone booth.  
  
"This is the biggest storm in Nowhere history! Do not go outside unless you absolutely have to!" the voice of the red-haired Nowhere newsman said from Courage's clock radio. He turned it on to fall asleep by.  
  
"Blah, blah, blah! I don't care! I ain't leaving until we find me truck!" Eustace grumbled.  
  
"But that could take days!" Muriel objected.  
  
"So? Stupid dog can take care of himself!"  
  
Then, out of nowhere, two glairing headlights appeared. It was Lil' Bastard! But he didn't kill them, no, no. He kidnapped them. Why, who knows. But Lil' Bastard is probably heading to it's last resting place. Before it disappeared and wound up in Nowhere, it was in Miami, Florida. But it wasn't heading to Miami. No, no.  
  
Courage was trying to find more info on this Lil' Bastard. He decided to check out the last place it was found. He read all about Florida, but found out more than where the car was.  
  
Apparently, there was a place called Inglis, a town in Florida. It had a proclamation on four posts, stolen. It was to ban Satan and his legions from the town. But without it, they are open to any form the dark master pleases. What better place for a four-wheeled demon to go? And so close to where it once was to. (this is true also btw, look it up!)  
  
"We exercise our authority over the devil in Jesus' name. By that authority, and through His blessed name, we command all satanic and demonic forces to cease their activities and depart the town of Inglis." Was the words, boy were they in for a shock. 


	10. A New Friend and Some Of Courage's Secre...

Courage managed to get hold of a repair service to fix the house. While they worked, he would go to Florida and scope this thing out. Where else would a demon go, no matter what form?  
  
He set out and slept most of the plane ride. When they arrived in Florida, Courage didn't know where to go. He asked around, but no one knew where Inglis was.  
  
"Maybe I can help you!" a voice called.  
  
Courage spun and saw a young man approaching him. He looked about 17 at least.  
  
"Hi. My name is Jonathan. I am a big, BIG fan of your show! Is it all true?"  
  
"No. The show isn't real, but what it is based on is. It's really my life made into a TV show." Courage explained.  
  
"Why not go Reality TV?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Nah. I'm scared enough of my real encounters. I only ACT frightened in the show."  
  
"So, your brave then?"  
  
"No. I'm just as scared in real life as I am on TV, just TV I'm acting." Courage explained, growing frustrated.  
  
"Okay, I get it now. So, you're heading to Inglis huh?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Yeah. A demon car kidnapped my owners, and that would be the first place to look for a demon." Courage said, looking around.  
  
"COOL! Uh..I mean, not in that since but....." Jonathan said, trailing off.  
  
"I understand. Forget it." Courage said, rolling his eyes.  
  
In the car, Jonathan was getting to know his idol better.  
  
"So, I take it that everyone knows you can talk. What from the show and all."  
  
"Yeah. People don't know how I can talk, I'm just a dog. I tell them all animals can talk if they put the effort forth to LEARN. Most don't want to, but I had to if I wanted to get into acting."  
  
"So you started young?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. My parents, rest their souls, wanted me to pursue my dream. I did various dog food commercials. That's why I dislike vinegar." Courage said.  
  
"Is Katz really evil and out to destroy you?"  
  
"Well, that one is complicated to explain. The one on the show is played by the brother of the real one he portrays. So his brother wants to destroy me, but he's just a good actor."  
  
"What is this demon car anyways?" Jonathan asked.  
  
"It's weird really. It's the car that James Dean was killed in. A lot of bad things happened to people around it, and now I found it after it 'disappeared'. It really is a demon, and not possessed like everyone thought." Courage said, looking out the window as if it would come up beside them.  
  
"Your right, that is weird. Well, we're here in Inglis." Jonathan said, pulling to a curb.  
  
"Thanks for the ride. Here's my e-mail address. Keep in touch." Courage said shaking hands.  
  
"Why don't you just take it apart and mail the pieces to different countries?" Jonathan asked with a smile.  
  
"I thought about it. But figured it wouldn't work." Courage said with a smirk. "Have a good day."  
  
"Will do." And he drove off, leaving Courage to face his mission.  
  
His smile faded as he realized that fun time was over, and that Lil' Bastard was coming for him. That wasn't Jonathan's engine he heard rev just now. 


	11. From One End to the Other, the Lil Basta...

Standing there in Florida, waiting for the inevitable, Courage sighed. He had to figure out how to stop this demon car. Of course now that he knew Eustace and Muriel were okay, his conscience was clear.  
  
The revving grew louder, and Lil' Bastard blindsided Courage, giving barely enough time for him to dive to safety. As he got to his knees, he saw Eustace and Muriel in the seats, struggling to get free of the gripping seat belts.  
  
"COURAGE! HELP!" Muriel yelled as Lil' Bastard backed up and sped off in a turn.  
  
"Don't worry Muriel! I'll save you!" Courage cried. He gave chase to the demonic car, and saw it pull in front of a church.  
  
Courage hoped that this wasn't for some sacrifice or something. Then in a feat of amazement, the car vanished! It seemed to demonically teleport!  
  
"Oh great! I come all the way out here just so it can ditch me for somewhere else! Terrific!" Courage said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  
  
Then he got to thinking, where would it go?  
  
He remembered the place where James Dean was killed. It was the beginning of the Lil' Bastard's terror.  
  
"California State Highway 46 streaks eastward from the city of Paso Robles, near the northern edge of San Luis Obispo County, and cuts across gentle rolling hills and sweeping fields dotted with an occasional ranch. It is a desolate, windblown vista, broken only by the squatty, weather- beaten buildings that make up the hamlets of Whitley Gardens, Shandon, and Cholame. Almost twenty-five miles from Paso Robles, and less than a mile east of Cholame, the highway cuts through a gap in the Temblor Mountains, so named because the San Andreas Fault runs at their base. Here the highway splits: 46 continues eastward to Bakersfield, and its branch, Highway 41, turns northeast toward Fresno. This junction near Cholame was the epicenter for a shock that reverberated around the world over two decades ago, but not because of the constantly shifting San Andreas Fault. Actor James Dean, idol to millions of moviegoers, was killed in a violent automobile accident at that junction." (James Dean is an Indiana native!) Jonathan read from a book that he got, as Courage sat in the passenger seat, thinking.  
  
Courage looked at Jonathan, who already had an answer.  
  
"Off to California!" he said with a smile.  
  
It was a long trip from Florida to California, but neither minded the company. Jonathan glanced over at Courage as they passed Nevada.  
  
"Wanna go to Vegas?" he asked with a smile.  
  
Courage chuckled. "Maybe some other time!"  
  
Courage swore he saw this Jonathan guy before. HE swore that this guy resembled a secret agent he met before, TWICE before actually. He passed it off, figuring it was his imagination under stress.  
  
Finally, after hours on end of driving and resting, they were in California.  
  
"HEY!" Jonathan shouted. "I remembered this time! Could I have your autograph?" he asked sheepishly, holding up a photo and a marker.  
  
Courage smiled to know he had so many fans. It was a shame that his network let him go and cancelled his show. Hopefully the fan uprising will make them reconsider. (mimisk8.com!!!!!)  
  
After signing the photo he walked to State Highway 46, where all this madness began. What could the Lil' Bastard could have planned? 


End file.
